national surname chiming

Chapter 21 Scientist Fang Yizhi
After the two cousins ​​bought the official positions, they will take up their posts within a few days.

Shen Shuren only lived in Nanjing for more than a month before and after he came to Nanjing, and in the end he had to go his own way.

One day in early September, Shen Shuren rented a boat on the Qinhuai River for Zhang Huangyan to practice.A few new friends also came to join in the fun.

Zhang Huangyan can be regarded as the first like-minded buddy Shen Shuren met after he came to this world. Although the risk of going here is not great, no one can guarantee absolute safety in troubled times.

Based on the mentality of being drunk today, Shen Shuren invited all the most successful singing and dancing girls, and spared no expense.Several of them were popular oirans that Wu Weiye had invited during the previous Bailuzhou Buying Officials Conference.

"You have to say goodbye to send you thousands of miles away. When you go to Tongcheng, cousin must guard the city carefully and don't move lightly. After this winter, after next spring, as long as I behave well, Mr. Yang Ge will find a way to move me away." Location. At that time, we will join forces to deal with the [-]th Battalion of Ge Zuo and make a great contribution!
What Zhang Xianzhong is best at is to use thieves to pretend to be refugees, sneak into the city with broken soldiers, and take the city from inside and outside.Its strength to attack fortified cities is far inferior to that of Li Zicheng.The Fifth Gezuo Battalion was coerced by Zhang Xianzhong, but they also learned Zhang Xianzhong's style, so be careful. "

Zhang Huangyan held the wine glass in front of him and drank it to the brim: "My dear brother, don't worry! I will definitely check the people and soldiers who enter and leave the city every day. But you, Zhu Dadian, who clearly has a grudge against your family, and gave you a job, there must be fraud behind it." .These dark moves are terrible."

As Zhang Huangyan spoke, he poured another cup, and thanked another Juren friend who came to see him off: "Brother Fang, I won't say any other polite words, but Zhang will definitely stick to his place and repay you for your kindness. .”

On the opposite side, a 27-year-old man with a bushy beard also cupped his hands and had a drink with him: "It should be, the selection of official positions is originally an official tool of the imperial court, how can we thank the private family.

Fang has a little friendship with Hou Chaozong, and it's just a few words for you.During the township examination a month ago, Brother Cangshui, your riding and archery skills were amazing.

Since the imperial court wanted to select a few new officials to guard Tongcheng, Fang certainly hoped that the ones selected would be practical talents, rather than mediocre talents who were helpless and ignorant of strategies. To help others is to help oneself. "

It turned out that this person's name was Fang Yizhi, and he was Jieyuan, the top candidate in the Zhili Township Examination in Kenan, and he also took the initiative to make friends with Zhang Huangyan and Shen Shuren after the official document buying meeting was over a few days ago.

And Shen Shuren knew that Fang Yizhi had never been a traitor in history, so of course he would not refuse the olive branch extended by such a decent literati.

(Note: Historically, Fang Yizhi also succeeded in high school in the general examination and palace examination in the following year, and was finally admitted as four of the second-class Jinshi in the 13th year of Chongzhen.)
Fang Yizhi is a native of Tongcheng County, Anqing Prefecture, Southern Zhili Province. The flood of the Gezuo Fifth Battalion this time has caused great harm to his hometown. The county magistrate Dianshi and other officials all died in the military disaster, and several surrounding counties have to elect new officials. fill up.

And most of the people who give money to buy officials are unwilling to go to those places.

The situation in Tongcheng is better than that of Qianshan and Huoshan next door. Anyway, the vacancies in the three counties are all vacant. Fang Yizhi used his old friendship with Hou Fangyu to help make peace. Finally, the higher-ups got Zhang Huangyan to Tongcheng. .

As far as the other party is concerned, such an arrangement is not a loss.Zhang Huang's proficiency in literature and martial arts seems to be more reliable than other scholars. If he goes to Tongcheng, the safety of Fang's family will be more guaranteed.

This year's township test was the first time that riding and archery was added to the test. During the test, Zhang Huangyan even hit the target with three arrows, and one of them hit the bull's-eye.

Although this kind of martial arts is nothing among military generals, it is definitely outstanding among scholars, and it left a deep impression on Fang Yizhi.

……

The three of them drink until their glasses are dry, and they have explained everything that should be explained.

Zhang Huangyan also set sail with a few Shen family boats and a hundred servants with martial arts skills and guns.

After watching his cousin leave, Shen Shuren also politely bowed his hands to the other party politely, and said politely:

"Brother Fang, I'm not good at reading, and I don't like to deal with people who are dead on reading. I really didn't expect that you, as a modern scholar, would be willing to pay a lot of money to those of us who buy official positions."

Fang Yizhi also responded with a gentle smile: "Take people with words, and lose them. Just because I don't buy an official, doesn't mean I can't be friends with those who buy an official.

Although you are not knowledgeable, judging from your words and deeds, you can be regarded as a gentleman. You openly told Wu Shanzhang about buying an official that day, and you said it quite reasonable, which is really shocking.

You will know from now on that I am a person with a wide range of hobbies, extraordinary skills, general knowledge in physics, and everything is wrong.I think you are also eclectic, and you will have the opportunity to discuss more in the future. "

Shen Shuren nodded, and the other party Yizhi gained another level of understanding, and he completely recognized this friend.

Fang Yizhi's remarks are really not bragging. He has written "Little Knowledge of Physics" and "Tongya" in history, and they are all encyclopedia books.

Of course, his "physics" is not Newton's physics. The content of the book roughly includes astronomy, geography, biology, machinery, mineral smelting and other knowledge.

"Little Knowledge of Physics" should still be in its infancy now, and it took Chongzhen 16 years to write it if there is no accident.But "Tong Ya" is more complex, and it was written after the death of the Ming Dynasty behind closed doors to thank guests.

Before Shen Shuren was thinking about becoming a local official, he would cultivate science and technology to benefit the common people. Now that Fang Yizhi is interested in these things, he couldn't help but test the other party's level.

While drinking, Shen Shuren gestured on the table with the wine, and picked a question casually: "Since Brother Fang is interested in astronomy, geography, industry and agriculture, I don't know if he has read Xu Ge's "Nongzheng Quanshu", Song Dynasty Chang Geng's "Heavenly Creation of Things"?"

Fang Yizhi originally thought that Shen Shuren was eclectic, and didn't expect him to know much about science and engineering.Hearing Shen Shuren mention the two books casually, he was even more surprised, and gave Shen Shuren an extra look.

Fang Yizhi said seriously: "Xu Ge's senior is a great sage, of course he has read all of his "Nongzheng Quanshu". However, I have only heard of Song Changgeng's "Heavenly Creation of Things", and I have never heard of that book. Printed, did my brother actually read it?"

Xu Guangqi's "Nongzheng Quanshu" was not finished during his lifetime, and some of the posthumous manuscripts were sorted out by Xu's descendants.However, Xu Guangqi's family is rich and has a prominent position, so it is quicker to get it printed on woodblocks. This book has been published for five or six years now, and readers who love science and food production practices will read it.

Song Yingxing's "Heavenly Creation of Things" was completed only ten years ago in Chongzhen, and it was only two years ago. Song Yingxing's family was still poor and could not afford to carve such a book that could not be sold at a loss, and it has not been printed yet.

With only one or two sentences, Shen Shuren roughly figured out Fang Yizhi's level, and then asked a question with a smile:
"Brother Fang, do you know that when we grow cotton and weave cotton cloth in the Susong area, if we accidentally 'topping' off the top buds of the cotton when the cotton is growing, will the cotton survive?"

Fang Yizhi frowned: "According to the old legend, the cotton plant must be well protected to grow taller. If the top buds are picked, the cotton plant must be short and thin. That’s what they all said. That’s why Brother Shen asked this question, could it be that Song Changgeng’s "Heavenly Creation of Things" has other wonderful ideas?"

Shen Shuren shook his folding fan lightly, and casually revealed the answer:

"Brother Fang is a great talent, and his reaction is really fast. Yes, after picking the top buds of cotton, although it will be short, but the power of water and fertilizer will be poured into the blossoming and fruiting peaches, and more flowers will be produced. If you don't pick the top buds, you just look tall , the nourishment is wasted on empty growth and more useless stalks.”

Shen Shuren instinctively thought of giving this example, also because this example is the most famous one in "Heavenly Creation".

He remembers watching "One Hundred Thousand Whys" when he was a child, and there was a quotation in it, saying that "the top advantage of crops" was first discovered by Chinese scientist Song Yingxing, earlier than in the West.

Sure enough, Fang Yizhi had never heard of it. For a moment, he felt that this new friend who was ignorant and inexperienced in front of him was actually better than himself in miscellaneous learning.

His curiosity was fully stimulated: "Then how do you know whether Mr. Xu Ge is right or Song Changgeng is right?"

Shen Shuren smiled, and spread his hands: "I tried it myself, our Shen family is in Suzhou, with a thousand hectares of manor, hundreds of sea ships, Suzhou embroidery silk tea, and Songjiang cotton cloth, all of which are the largest businesses in my family.

As soon as I read this passage in "Tiangong Kaiwu", I immediately let the servants in the village try it. Sure enough, I harvested [-]-[-]% more cotton, and the growing season was shortened.My family earns thousands of taels of silver just by harvesting tens of thousands of extra cotton sheets a year. Do you think my evidence is strong enough?

Later, I generalized it and found that there are many other crops that can be compared by analogy. Applying Song Changgeng's discovery, the top buds are pinched to prevent the straw from growing taller, and the water, fertilizer and nutrients can be focused on filling the flesh and ears of corn. , the output of edible parts increased instead. "

Fang Yizhi was completely stunned, he didn't expect Shen Shuren to be such a straightforward and practical man.

Any theory can deceive people, but the real money won't deceive people.It can be said that the Shen family can harvest so much cotton for nothing by topping the heart.

"It's easy to come by on paper, and I never know that this matter has to be done. The ancients are sincere and do not deceive me. Brother Yu admires him." Fang Yizhi didn't care if he was Xie Yuan, and stood up frankly, and bowed to Shen Shuren. .

Shen Shuren hit the snake with the stick, and took the opportunity to persuade: "Then I wonder if Brother Fang will have other things to do after staying in Nanjing for a long time after this local examination? Or should he just wait in Nanjing until the end of the year, and then go north directly to take the examination?
If you have time, I would like to invite Brother Fang to travel to Suzhou for a few months. We hit it off right away, and we can learn about astronomy, geography, industry and agriculture. "

Shen Shuren has always spared no effort to win over the scientists and engineering talents of this era. Now that he has met Fang Yizhi, there is no reason to let it go, even if it is just to make friends and have a voluntary discussion first.

In the future, when he becomes a big official, he will definitely recruit Song Yingxing.

Fang Yizhi thought about it for a while, and there would be nothing to do in Nanjing for the next three or four months, so he agreed.

Shen Shuren was still a little embarrassed, and kindly reminded: "Brother Fang, you still can't throw away the stereotyped articles, otherwise if you can't pass the spring next year, don't blame me."

Fang Yizhi's arrogance was aroused, and he said proudly: "I can study Yuan in this subject, even if I don't write articles for four months, I will still live next spring!
Now I can see that the importance of stereotyped essays in these two provincial examinations is getting lower and lower. People can't understand Yuan in the test.

Brother, it’s not me who said that although your stereotyped articles are not very good, but the times make heroes, and the current talent standard is gradually benefiting you. You should try it in the spring of next year. No exam. "

What Fang Yizhi said was true.

Historically, Wei Zaode was the champion at the end of next spring. According to "History of the Ming Dynasty", this Wei Zaode's stereotyped essays are not outstanding, but his current policy theory is more in line with Chongzhen's taste, and he stands out. In just four years When he became the chief assistant of the cabinet, he was promoted very quickly (the last chief assistant before Chongzhen hanged himself).

It can be seen that in the last two terms of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen had to make major concessions and reforms in the imperial examination.

If Shen Shuren really wanted to take the exam, as long as he made up for the basics of stereotypes a little bit, it would not be impossible for him to have a chance.

After all, Shen Shuren has read the biography of Wei Zaode in "History of the Ming Dynasty", and it is written in this biography about what policy topics will be tested in the Chongzhen Palace Examination in 13 years. Leaked.

If he is allowed to take the provincial examination, there is absolutely no hope. If the level of the rural examination is too low, "History of Ming Dynasty" will not be written on the examination questions.However, for more advanced examinations, there may be a reversal.

However, Shen Shuren didn't deliberately pursue these things, his immediate purpose was just to persuade Fang Yizhi to go back with him to travel and discuss for a while, and we'll talk about other things later.

The two of them completely talked about it, Fang Yizhi also went back to pack his luggage, and went to travel with Shen Shuren as soon as he said that.

The oirans who were singing and dancing at the side were amazed to see that Fang Jieyuan, a top talent, could be convinced by this local tyrant, Mr. Shen.

(End of this chapter)